"By The Numbers presented by Compass Minerals" is a season-long series that gives a statistical preview of every Sporting match. To visit the series archive, click here.
Sporting Kansas City will battle for a spot in the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final on Tuesday when USL Championship side Indy Eleven visits Children's Mercy Park for a 7 p.m. CT showdown in the semifinal round of U.S. Soccer's national championship. Tickets for Sporting's most important match of the season are available via SeatGeek with all fees waived. The cup clash will also be shown live for free on Apple TV via MLS Season Pass with radio coverage on Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM.
Manager Peter Vermes' men built palpable momentum on Saturday, cruising to a 3-0 home win over Orlando City SC as the MLS regular season resumed following a month-long break for Leagues Cup. Awaiting Kansas City on Tuesday is an Indy Eleven outfit looking to continue its magical Cinderella run all the way to the Open Cup Final. With tons to play for in this monumental midweek matchup, we provide a statistical preview in our newest edition of By The Numbers, presented by Compass Minerals.
Head-to-Head
- Tuesday will mark the inaugural meeting between the clubs. If the match is tied after 90 minutes, two 15-minute periods of extra time will be played in their entirety. If the teams remain deadlocked after extra time, a penalty shootout will decide the winner.
- Sporting has never previously faced a team from Indiana in a competitive match.
- The winner of Tuesday’s match will advance to the Open Cup Final in late September to meet either Seattle Sounders FC or LAFC. The semifinal between Seattle and LAFC is slated for 9:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday.
- The 2024 Open Cup champion will receive $300,000 in prize money and a berth in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup.
Sporting Kansas City
- 2024 MLS record: 7-14-6, 27 points (12th in West | 44 GF, 52 GA)
- 2024 MLS home record: 5-5-4 (29 GF, 26 GA)
- 2024 Open Cup: Beat Union Omaha, FC Tulsa and FC Dallas
- Best Open Cup Finish: Champions (2004, 2012, 2015, 2017)
- Sporting has won four Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup titles (2004, 2012, 2015, 2017). That ties Chicago Fire FC and Seattle Sounders FC for the most among MLS clubs and is one behind Maccabi Los Angeles and Bethlehem Steel for most in the tournament’s 109-year history.
- Sporting has won three Open Cup titles since 2012, more than any other team.
- Sporting has made four Open Cup semifinal appearances since 2015, more than any other team.
- Sporting has prevailed in 28 Open Cup matches since 2012, more than any other team.
- Sporting owns a 27-7-3 home record in the Open Cup and hasn’t lost at home in the competition since falling to the Portland Timbers in the Round of 16 on June 24, 2014.
- Sporting has prevailed in 15 straight Open Cup home matches, posting a 14-0-1 record since 2015. The lone draw accounts for a shootout win following a 1-1 stalemate against the San Jose Earthquakes in the 2017 semifinals.
- Sporting has a 37-18-8 all-time record in the Open Cup.
- Sporting has an 18-5-4 all-time record against non-MLS opponents in the Open Cup, including two wins this year as SKC beat Union Omaha (USL League One) in the Round of 32 and FC Tulsa (USL Championship) in the Round of 16.
- In Sporting’s 3-0 home win over Orlando City SC on Saturday, the team equaled its largest margin of victory in an MLS match since beating San Jose by a 3-0 scoreline on Aug. 26, 2023. Both matches were Sporting’s first MLS fixtures following the Leagues Cup break.
- Sporting ranks sixth in MLS this season in non-penalty goals scored (44).
- Sporting’s 1.63 goals per match during the 2024 regular season are the club’s fourth most since the Peter Vermes era began in 2009 (Sporting had more goals per match in 2018, 2020 and 2021).
- Sporting leads MLS with 12 goals from outside the box during the 2024 regular season.
- Sporting has scored multiple goals in 10 of 14 MLS home matches this season and in 13 of 18 home games across all competitions.
- Sporting has scored in 16 straight regular season home matches dating back to Sept. 23, 2023, totaling 34 goals during that stretch (2.13 per match).
- Forward Daniel Salloi is Sporting’s all-time leader with eight career goals in the Open Cup.
- Salloi has 17 career Open Cup appearances for Sporting, tied with current assistant coach Kerry Zavagnin for fourth most in club history and behind only Roger Espinoza (26), Matt Besler (20 and Graham Zusi (20).
- Salloi scored his second goal of the season in Saturday’s 3-0 home win over Orlando City SC. In doing so, he became the fourth player in Sporting history to eclipse 100 goal contributions for the club in all competitions (60 goals, 40 assists), trailing only Preki (181), Graham Zusi (125) and current teammate Johnny Russell (117).
- Forward Johnny Russell has eight goal contributions (four goals, four assists) in 10 career Open Cup appearances. He is the only player in club history with at least four goals and four assists in the Open Cup. Russell’s four Open Cup assists are third most in team history, while his eight goal contributions in the tournament are fourth most in team history.
- Russell leads Sporting with eight assists this season in all competitions. He also ranks second on the team with 12 goal contributions in all competitions.
- Russell recorded an assist in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Orlando. In doing so, he became the third player in Sporting history to eclipse 100 regular season goal contributions for the club (60 goals, 40 assists), trailing only Preki (169), Graham Zusi (105).
- Goalkeeper Tim Melia has prevailed in 11 of his 12 career Open Cup appearances for Sporting, including penalty shootout wins in the 2015 final and the 2017 semifinal (9-1-2 record).
- Forward William Agada leads Sporting with 11 goals this season in all competitions—nine in the MLS regular season, one in the Open Cup and one in Leagues Cup. He also has a team-leading 14 total goal contributions in all competitions (three assists).
- Ten of Agada’s 11 goals this season have come at home. He has scored 20 goals in 31 home appearances at Children’s Mercy Park (including 21 starts) since debuting for the club in July 2022.
- Jake Davis had the winning goal and an assist in Sporting’s 3-0 win over Orlando on Saturday. It was his second career MLS match with goal and an assist, having recorded one each in Sporting’s 3-1 road win over Toronto FC on March 30.
- Midfielder Erik Thommy and forwards Stephen Afrifa and Alan Pulido are tied for second on the team with five goals apiece this season in all competitions.
- Afrifa has scored or assisted in three of Sporting’s last four matches in all competitions, including a goal or an assist in both his last three home appearances and his last three starts since July 28.
- Pulido has come off the bench to record assists in each of Sporting’s last two MLS matches. With five goals and five assists in all competitions, his 10 total goal contributions are third most on the team.
- Midfielder Memo Rodriguez leads Sporting with six assists in MLS regular season play, while Pulido and Russell are tied for second with five apiece.
Indy Eleven
- 2024 USL Championship record: 10-9-5, 35 points (5th in East | 35 GF, 39 GA)
- 2024 USL Championship away record: 5-4-3 (22 GF, 23 GA)
- 2024 Open Cup: Beat Chicago Fire FC II, San Antonio FC, Detroit City FC and Atlanta United FC
- Best Open Cup Finish: Semifinals (2024)
- The 2024 Open Cup saw Indy advance to the Round of 16 for the first time in club history. Indy has since reached the semifinal stage, the only second-division team to do so.
- Indy earned a 2-1 quarterfinal win at Atlanta United FC on July 9, securing the club’s first ever victory against an MLS club.
- Indy has outscored opponents 8-1 during the 2024 Open Cup. The club’s lone goal conceded came in the 92nd minute of its 2-1 road win over Atlanta in the quarterfinals.
- Indy occupies fifth place in the USL Championship Eastern Conference with a 10-9-5 record.
- Indy has one win in its last nine league matches, going 1-5-3 since June 22 including back-to-back losses against New Mexico United and Las Vegas Lights FC.
- Indy has conceded three or more goals in three of the club’s last four matches since the start of August.
- From April 27 to June 15, Indy won eight straight league matches and 10 straight matches in all competitions, including two Open Cup victories.
- Indy is playing for its second major trophy in club history, having won the 2016 NASL Spring Championship.
- Midfielder Jack Blake leads Indy with nine goals this season in all competitions, including one in the Open Cup.
- Forward Augustine Williams is second on Indy with eight goals in all competitions, including a team-best three in the Open Cup.
- Defender Aedan Stanley leads Indy with seven assists during the USL Championship season.
Milestones and Miscellany
- Manager Peter Vermes has won three U.S. Open Cup titles, the most among active MLS coaches, and is currently in pursuit of a record-tying fourth Open Cup championship (Sigi Schmid).
- Goalkeeper Tim Melia boasts a perfect 7-0 record in penalty shootouts during his professional career, including a 5-0 mark at Sporting.
- Forward Johnny Russell ranks third in club history with 66 goals in all competitions, one shy of tying Dom Dwyer for second on the all-time chart.
- Forward Daniel Salloi has 100 goal contributions (60 goals, 40 assists) for Sporting in all competitions, fourth most in club history behind only Preki (181), Graham Zusi (125) and Johnny Russell (117).
- Forward Alan Pulido is one shy of his 100th appearance for Sporting in all competitions.
- Midfielder Memo Rodriguez is one shy of his 250th professional club appearance.
